At this time of the season, every game carries a life-or-death feel for teams in the NCAA Tournament bubble conversation. They rarely are quite that important—remember, the phrase “body of work” is key—but the tournament selection committee is watching intently.

Here’s what they saw Sunday.

GOOD DAY: Temple

Outcome:Won at home vs. No. 21 VCU. The Owls entered this contest with a six-game winning streak, but VCU’s frenetic defense put them in a big early hole—Temple trailed 36-20 with just about six minutes left in the first half. The Owls, though, closed that gap to just five points by halftime and continued their push in the second half. They took the lead on a 3-pointer by Jake O’Brien with 14:40 left in the second half and never trailed again.

This game showcased the good and the bad of Temple’s season. The Owls are prone to stretches of frustrating play—such as when VCU went on an 18-0 run in the first half—but they’re also a very talented team capable of dominating stretches against NCAA-caliber squads, as evidenced by an outstanding second half. Khalif Wyatt, a talented scorer who has the mindset of a potential March Madness hero, had 30 points for the Owls. That’s his fifth game this season with at least 30 points, and he’s scored at least 20 in 16 games.

Prognosis: There was little chance the Owls, who now have 10 RPI top 100 victories, were going to be left out of the NCAA Tournament even if they had lost this game. This win, though, pretty much locks up their bid.

GOOD DAY: Creighton

Outcome: Won the Missouri Valley Tournament championship vs. Wichita State. The Bluejays had a few nervous moments late in the title game, as the Shockers spouted off a 10-0 run down the stretch to cut Creighton’s lead to one tenuous point with less than a minute remaining. But Jahenns Manigat attacked the basket and made a layup with 13 seconds left, which pretty much forced the Shockers to try for the game-tying 3-pointer. The Bluejays’ perimeter defenders, particularly Doug McDermott, did an outstanding job of not allowing Wichita State’s Malcolm Armstead to find a clean look, and Creighton held on for its second consecutive Missouri Valley title.

Prognosis: The Bluejays snagged the MVC auto-bid. Their only Selection Sunday question now relates to seeding.

BAD DAY: Wichita State

Outcome:Lost the Missouri Valley Tournament Championship to Creighton. There were multiple opportunities for the Shockers to let this game get away from them, but each time they responded to the challenge. Creighton led 19-7, but Wichita State answered with a 12-2 run. After Creighton took a 44-35 lead, Wichita State scored the next five points. And when the Bluejays led by 11 points with less 3:33 remaining in the game, the Shockers scored 10 consecutive points to stay alive for the MVC auto-bid. Malcolm Armstead scored 28 points for Wichita State, on 10-for-20 shooting from the field, but the rest of the Shockers were a combined 13-for-47 (27.7 percent).

Prognosis: The Shockers should be a little nervous on Selection Sunday, but not “everybody do their own thing” nervous. Their computer numbers are good (RPI 36, Pomeroy 32) and they played a solid non-conference schedule (including a win at VCU), but on the other hand, they were swept by Evansville (RPI 103) and lost to Southern Illinois (RPI 191). There are still plenty of things that have to shake out on the bubble.

GOOD DAY: Virginia

BAD DAY: Maryland

Outcome:Virginia rallied to force overtime at home against Maryland, then won in overtime. This was not a game either team will save for future video instruction, but unfortunately for both, the selection committee was watching. The visiting Terps shot 32.8 percent from the field for the game, and the Cavs shot 36.8 percent. The teams combined to make just 10 of 36 three-point attempts. They combined for 20 turnovers and just 19 assists. Joe Harris was 4-for-18 for Virginia, Dez Wells was 5-for-18 for Maryland. The Terps raced out to a 25-8 lead, and the Cavs closed regulation with a 12-4 run to send the game to overtime.

Prognosis: The reality of the situation is the NCAA Tournament selection committee has to find 37 at-large teams, so both are still on the table despite the fact that Virginia has seven losses to teams with triple-digit RPIs and Maryland is just 3-9 vs. RPI top 100 teams. This gives the Cavaliers a season sweep of the Terps, though, which will be a significant advantage should any head-to-head debate of their at-large credentials arise.

BAD DAY: Middle Tennessee

Outcome: Lost to Florida International in the Sun Belt Tournament semifinals. This is a brutal blow for the Blue Raiders, a team that’s no doubt good enough to win a game or two in the NCAA Tournament, but a team that has a resume of a fringe bubble team (at best). They finished the regular season 19-1 in conference play but that didn’t matter Sunday night. Florida International—coached by Richard Pitino—built a nine-point halftime lead and held on down the stretch despite scoring just six points in the final five minutes. Middle Tennessee—which beat Florida International twice during the season—was 3-for-15 from 3-point range and 12-for-21 from the free throw line.

Prognosis: The Blue Raiders have a shiny record (28-5) but don’t have a single RPI top 50 win; their best resume victory is Mississippi (RPI 56). Their best hope—aside from the eye test or solid RPI (24 before Sunday’s loss)—is that the selection committee puts serious stock in their non-conference strength of schedule, which is 10th in the RPI and 43rd in the Pomeroy ratings.